Yew

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Yew (lat. Taxus) - a genus of coniferous evergreen shrubs and trees of the Yew family. In nature, yews are found in the coniferous forests of the Caucasus and Europe. Only seven species grow in natural conditions.

Characteristic

Yew is a shrub or tree with a dense crown, a smooth trunk at a young age and longitudinally furrowed in a mature and whorled arrangement of branches. The bark of most members of the genus is reddish brown or reddish. The needles are located spirally, directed upwards, on horizontal shoots the needles are two-row, linear, almost comb-like, often sickle-curved. On the outside, the needles have a longitudinal vein, on the inside, two grayish or yellowish-green stomatal stripes. There are no resin channels in the needles.

Cones are male, spherical, sit on short legs, covered with scales over the entire surface. Since yews are gymnosperms-type plants, they do not form flowers and, accordingly, fruits. The mature seed is oval-ovate, surrounded by a peculiar goblet-shaped roof that does not grow together with it. The seeds and all parts of the plant contain toxins, so they are extremely poisonous. Yews are slow growing, but the average age of plants is 1500-2000 years. There are specimens that live up to 3500-4000 years.

Growing conditions

Yews prefer moist, nutritious, slightly alkaline or neutral soils. Calcareous are not prohibited. The groundwater level is not less than 1.5 m. All species put forward their own requirements for growing conditions, for example, pointed yew develops best on loamy and slightly podzolized soils, berry yew - on slightly acidic non-swampy soils.

Most representatives of the genus have a negative attitude towards waterlogged soils, especially plants towards the presence of toxic substances and heavy metals in the soil. Saline soils have a detrimental effect on the quality of the needles, it acquires a yellow color. If we talk about the location, then in this regard, yews are unpretentious. They can develop normally in both sunny and highly shaded areas.

Landing

The yew takes root within three months. Planting material is planted in cold greenhouses or in open ground. The period of growing yew by planting cuttings is 6-7 years. Planting pits are prepared in advance, one third of them are filled with a special soil mixture consisting of peat, sand and sod land in a ratio of 2: 2: 3.

Also, during planting, it is necessary to add 50-70 g of nitroammophoska or 100 g of Kemira-universal fertilizer. Drainage is also required, as drainage, you can use broken brick or gravel with a layer of 10 cm. After planting, the soil in the near-trunk zone is watered and mulched with sawdust, pine needles or peat.

Care

Yew care consists in rare watering (once a month, 9-10 liters per tree) and systematic sprinkling (at least once every two weeks). Loosening and weeding of the near-stem zone is also necessary. Optimal loosening to a depth of 10-15 cm. Yew has a positive attitude towards shearing and pruning, the crown of plants can be given any shape.

For the winter, the near-stem zone of young plants is covered with peat or humus with a layer of about 5-7 cm, and the plants themselves are covered with kraft buman or spruce branches. These materials will help protect plants from sunburn. Top dressing is carried out annually. For these purposes, nitrophoska, complex mineral fertilizers and Florovit are ideal.